Untitled (Kashmiri Couple) 1966

M. F. Husain made this ‘Untitled (Kashmiri Couple)’ with ink on paper, and the process looks pretty intuitive. You can see the artist working, almost feeling around for the forms. The way the ink bleeds and pools, it's like the image is emerging from a dark dream. Husain wasn’t trying to hide anything; every stroke is visible, every decision laid bare. It’s there in the rapid lines describing the man’s beard, which are so different from the smoother washes that create the woman’s face. The texture of the paper seems to soak up the ink, creating a kind of halo effect around the figures. This gives the work an immediacy, like it’s a snapshot of a fleeting moment. Looking at this, I’m reminded of the work of the German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Like Kirchner, Husain uses a simplified style to convey deep emotion. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation, building on what came before, and constantly finding new ways to express the human experience.